Hat mounted radio antenna



Sept. 30, 1969 H. A. RASCHKE 3,470,558

HAT MOUNTED RADIO ANTENNA Filed Dec. 7, 1966 l4\ il 2 lNvEwToa HERBERT A. RASGi-M'E mm a Tm JTMN ATTORNE ms United States Patent 3,470,558 HAT MOUNTED RADIO ANTENNA Herbert A. Raschke, Greenbrae, Califl, assignor to E. D. Bullard Company, Sausalito, Calif. Filed Dec. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 599,910 Int. Cl. HOlq 1/12, 1/00 US. Cl. 343718 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A radio receiving antenna mounted in a safety hat that includes a band of conductive wire mesh that is formed in a loop and has a upwardly converging or frustoconical form. The degree of convergence is established so that the antenna conforms generally to the degree of taper of the hat interior to the end that the mesh frictionally engages the hat interior. The disclosed band has an adjustable diameter so that the band can be adapted to different sizes and shapes of hats.

Background of the invention The art to which the invention pertains is the art of portable radio antennas and more particularly to radio antennas that can be mounted interiorly of safety hats without interfering in any way with the safety afforded by the hat to the wearer thereof.

Hat mounted antennas have been known in the prior art, but known examples of such antennas detract from the head protective characteristics of the hat because such antennas are permanently mounted interior of the hat in overlying relation to the top of the wearers head. Such pnior art antennas reduce the clearance space between the suspension system typically provided in the hat and the shell of the hat. By way of contrast, the present invention is configured to reside adjacent the temple level of the wearers head so that the suspension system that overlies the wearers head and spaces the crown of the head from the hat shell is not in any way affected by installation of an antenna according to the present invention.

Summary of the invention The invention includes a flexible conductive band, such as a band of metallic screen mesh, which band is so configured that it fits within a safety hat in frictional engagement with the interior of the hat and between the suspension system and the shell adjacent the temple level of the wearer. Accordingly, the antenna in no way interferes with the wearers activities or the safety afforded by the space typically provided between the upper extremity of the suspension and the lower extremity of the hat shell. For mechanical protection of the antenna, a RF-pervious plastic material is coated thereon, and to adapt the antenna to different sizes and shapes of helmets, the free ends of the band are provided with snap fastening members having plural adjustable positions.

Brief description of the drawing For more fully describing the structure embodying the invention as well as pointing out the objects, features, and advantages thereof, a drawing is included herewith in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view in cross section of a typical safety helmet in which an antenna according to the present invention is installed;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the antenna of the present invention layed out in flattened form and shown at a reduced scale as compared with FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of an antenna constructed according to the present invention.

Patented Sept. 30, 1969 Referring more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral 12 indicates a hard hat of more or less conventional form which includes an impact resistant shell formed of molded plastic or like material having suitable characteristics. Such shells typically include rigidly and interiorly thereof a plurality of fixed connector members 14 which are adapted to engage with complementary connectors 16, which latter members support a head engaging harness or suspension system 18. Such suspension systems typically include crown straps 20 which are adapted to overlie the head of the wearer and a sweat band 22 which is adapted to encircle the wearers head at or below the temple level of the head, both the crown straps and the head band being connected to the connectors 16. The sweat band engages the wearers head and retains the suspension system and hat in place. According to the present invention, a band of conductive mesh 24 is provided and as seen in FIGURE 1, defines a generally frustoconical form that has a lower edge 26 of relatively large diameter and tapers upwardly and inwardly to a relatively small diameter upper edge 28. It can be seen that the band 24 closely conforms to the interior configuration of hat 12.

Such shape of band 24 is obtained by constructing the band of an arcuate strip of metallic mesh material (see FIGURE 2) having opposite ends 30 and 32. Such construction assures that when the opposite ends of the band are joined together, the shape depicted in FIGURE 1 will be achieved. A male snap member 34 is formed in end 30 and a plurality of spaced apart holes 36 for selectively engaging the snap member are formed in end 32. In one antenna designed according to the present invention, band 24 was formed with a radius of curvature of approximately 18 inches and an arcuate length of approximately 25-30 inches. Such exemplary band has a width of about 1 inches so that a total surface area in excess of 35 sq. inches is provided, such area having been found adequate for efficient radio signal reception in the industrial radio bands.

Installation of the band and retention of the band within the hat can be more fully appreciated by reference to FIGURE 1. Most efiicien-t installation of the antenna is achieved by removing suspension system 18 from shell 12 by disengaging connector members 16 from the connector socket 14 within the hat. Band 24 is formed into a loop by engagement of male snap member 34 into one of the holes 36 in band end 30. As pointed out above, the arcuate shape of :band 24 assures that the tapered form depicted in FIGURE 1 will be achieved. The band is then inserted into the hat shell. If an appropriate hole 36 is engaged, band 24 will enter the shell by an amount sufficient that fixed connector members 14 Within the shell will not be restricted. If, on the one hand, the band is initially formed with an excessive diameter, the fixed connector members will interfere with installation of the suspension system 18 because proper engagement of complementary connectors 16 with fixed connector members 14 will be impossible. On the other hand, if the band is initially formed with an excessively small diameter, the band will enter the hat too far, and on subsequent installation of the suspension system, the band will interfere with or contact the head of the wearer. Thus, the preferred diameter for band 24 is a position in which it will be retained in friction-a1 contact with the interior of shell 12 slightly above fixed connector members 14.

Referring to FIGURE 3, there is shown in cross sectional diagrammatical form at 38 the wires forming band 24; a layer of RF -pervious plastic material 40 is applied to the mesh for retaining the individual wires of the mesh in proper spaced relation and for protecting the mesh from mechanical damage. An antenna lead wire 42 is electrically and mechanically connected to band 24 at 44 and is preferably positioned adjacent the back of the wearers head so that wire 42 can extend down the wearers back so as not to interfere with the wearers movements.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides a hat mounted antenna which interferes with neither the safety nor the comfort afforded by the hat. Additionally, the antenna is adapted for universal installation in safety hats since it is adjustable in height. Moreover, the form of antenna described hereiabove has been found to be efiicient in receiving radio frequency energy.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be obvious that other adaptations and modifications can be made Without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A radio antenna for a safety hat of the type having a rigid shell, a head engaging suspension system, and connectors in the shell for removably mounting the suspension system in the shell around the lower edge of the shell, said radio antenna comprising a strip of electrically conductive mesh, said mesh being formed into a looped band of generally frustoconical form having a lower peripheral edge of relatively large peripheral extent and tapering continously toward an upper edge of relatively small peripheral extent, the taper of said band approximating the taper of the safety hat interior above the suspension connectors so that said band can be inserted in said safety hat above said connectors and intermediate said shell and said suspension system.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said mesh is covered with insulative material that is pervious to radio frequency energy.

3. The invention of claim 1 in combination with a conductor connected to said band, said conductor depending from the lower edge of said band and adapted to hang down at the rear of the wearers head for connection to radio receiving apparatus.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said band is formed by an arcuate shaped strip terminating at opposite ends in combination with means for joining the ends together.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said joining means comprises a series of spaced apart holes in one said end and a protruding snap member in the other end, said snap member being engageable in any selected one of said holes to afford adjustable length to said band.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,070,112 2/1937 Bowles 343718 3,183,443 5/1965 Lefeure 343718 3,266,042 8/1966 Mahoney et a1 343-720 ELI LIEBERMAN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 343-720 

